Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-10-21
A MYSTERY SOLVED.



berry Case.
The murder of j. w. Barron, treasurer
of the National bank and Sayings bank of
Dexter, Me, nine years ago. created ma
tional sensation. The mystery of the
crime, the testimony Of fidelity to his
trust given by the dying mans wounds,
the escape of the murderers, leaving not
trace of their presence in or escape from
the little town, moved the whole country.
Barron was found lying bleeding and I'M
conscious in the bank vault. The door Of
the vault was open, but the funds were
untouched and only 500 in money and
$500 bond were missing from the cash
drawer. The story was started that Bar.
ron had committed suicide to avoid ex-
posture of some misconduct toward the
bank but this was never proved. The
theory was accepted by the bank officers
to the extent that they brought suit
against the widows estate for alleged
discrepancies in her husbands accounts,
but these were not and apparently could
not be proved and the suit was discOntn-
ued. Barron stood high in the estimation
of hisItownsmen, as did his wife, whom the
nine years that have elapsed has held
her faith firm in her husbands innocence
aud has devoted much of her little for
tune in efforts to trace out his murderers.
Some three weeks ago the New York
| ITOrjd heard rumors of confession
| by one of the gang engaged in
the murder. This was a young
man named Franklin Stain, who while
confined i'll jail for an assault on his wife.
had been overcome by the pangs of
guilty conscience, and acknowledged that
a heavy crime lay in MS MIND. "A repre-
sentative of the ItOrld was sent to Maine,
and obtained full confession from young
| Stain This WAS to the effect that he and
his father, David stain, with Oliver
Smith, alias Cromwell, well known
criminal, and four men named Andrews,
| Thompson, Scott and heely, were lmpll-
Gated in the crime; They had procured
| impressions of all the locks IN the build
ing where the bank was located, and took
advantage of the holiday, when the build
| ing seemed deserted, to gam entrance by
false keys. On opening the vault room
| door, David stain found himself lace to
face with Barron, who had been to the
! coal closet and was returning with scut-
tie of coal in one hand. The vault door
was unlocked, and the cashier was
| apparently arranging to count the funds
and verify his accounts. Young Stain said {;
Instantly father pulled slung shot
from his pocket and struck MI Barron on
| the right side OF the face. Barron stag
gered, and father struck him another blow
with the slung shot on the TOP OF the
| head, and Barron fell to the floor. lie was
not, however, unconscious, and tried to
rise, when father leaped forward and
struck him a thifd blow, again on the
head. Cromwell then jumped forward,
grasped him by the throat, siung moose
around his neck and pulled 1t tight, while
| father forced gaG into the PROSTATE
mans mouth, and knotted 1t AT the back
OF ms head. Ihey then proceeded TO hand-
cuff his hands behind his back and laid the
hand-cufT key on the floor behind him. AT
nncnDG
TOOK Barron's Keys from his pocket ana
thrust them into his own pocket. Then
Cromwell and father together lifted bar,
| ron, carried him into the vault and laid
nm on the lOor The great iron door VI
one of the safes was open, but neither
laIher mGr GrouiWeil uareu 10 til"A ne
tho Ta,Iit fTho,, oitiI,, niosnd tGa
door Father drew Rarron,s KEYS from
his pocket and unlocked the money drawer
IN the front room OF the bank. lie gather
eieu u nay ioT3e i4eS tet9 W sSSo d
| thrnst a 500 bond which was lvinr in the
drawer into his pocket.
The other members of the gang had
Deeh on the Watcn IN ana near the hullu,
lhe' anu Oh ieaihIuB InaI lhe casuler nau
SYN oIaln, tnt! uecnieu " nee; A w.
0laln halt Wditeu az bllSuail' d nc" iiillGa
away, WIN WdSuu' All Io'uu VHei
way tnltner anu drove TO S9lon, Ne,
Where they separated; lney dlu not learh
I InIaI barron was dead uhtl4 me next uay,
Dung Stalh heard al the details OF me
ROBBERY from his 1ather ana CROMWELL lie
believes that some OF the gang started the
story OF Barron S defalcatlon III ORDER 10
overt suspicion from themselves. 9oung
siam IS under arrest at FRANKLIN, Mass''
where he made the confession.
Davld Il. STAN, the father OF FRANKLIN,
ana OllVer Cromwell smith, or OIlver
cromwell, as he now calls hlmself, were
arrested wednesday, ana were 10 De taken
to Maine Yesterday tor trial they are
convicted, III Will be one OF tne most re-
markable cases OF the lnal triumph OF
justice and vindlcation OF injured lnno-
cence on record IN the history al crime
Stain and Cromwell Arrive at Dexter
The Natives still Tardv in Doing JUS
tice to the Murdered Cashier
M
DEXTER, Me-, Oct l3.-Ihe alleged
murderers of Treasurer Barron, Stain and
Cromwell. arrived in Dexter on this even.
in,,,s train in cbor,a of the datectivea
Us us st'',-l - . - ,Iao,ar, at
ana are now IN the custody Oh Keepers at
| the Exchange hotel. 1t is expected hear